USER CONTROL DEVICE WITH HOUSING CONTAINING ANGLED CIRCUIT BOARDS
A thermostat includes a housing with an interior volume, a display attached to the housing, a first circuit board positioned within the interior volume, a second circuit board positioned within the interior volume, wherein the first circuit board is positioned perpendicular to the second circuit board, processing electronics mounted to at least one of the first circuit board and the second circuit board, the processing electronics configured to operate the display, and a battery positioned within the interior volume and configured to provide power to the display and the processing electronics.
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The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/156,868, filed May 4, 2015, U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/247,672, filed Oct. 28, 2015, U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/260,141 filed Nov. 25, 2015, U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/274,750, filed Jan. 4, 2016, U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/275,199, filed Jan. 5, 2016, U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/275,202, filed Jan. 5, 2016, U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/275,204, filed Jan. 5, 2016, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/275,711, filed Jan. 6, 2016, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
BACKGROUNDThe present disclosure relates generally to user control devices and more particularly to thermostats for controlling a building or space's heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.
A thermostat is, in general, a component of an HVAC control system. Traditional thermostats sense the temperature or other parameters (e.g., humidity) of a system and control components of the HVAC system in order to maintain a set point for the temperature or other parameter. A thermostat may be designed to control a heating or cooling system or an air conditioner. Thermostats are manufactured in many ways, and use a variety of sensors to measure temperature and other desired parameters of a system.
Conventional thermostats are configured for one-way communication to connected components, and to control HVAC systems by turning on or off certain components or by regulating flow. Each thermostat may include a temperature sensor and a user interface. The user interface typically includes display for presenting information to a user and one or more user interface elements for receiving input from a user. To control the temperature of a building or space, a user adjusts the set point via the thermostat's user interface.
SUMMARYAn illustrative thermostat includes a housing with an interior volume defined at least in part by a top surface and a rear surface. The thermostat also includes a display attached to the housing and a first circuit board within the interior volume. The first circuit board is parallel to the top surface. The thermostat also includes a second circuit board within the interior volume. The second circuit board is parallel to the rear surface. The thermostat further includes processing electronics mounted to the first circuit board, a temperature sensor mounted to the second circuit board, and a battery within the interior volume configured to provide power to the display, the processing electronics, and the temperature sensor.
In some embodiments of the thermostat, the first circuit board is configured to cause the display to display first information. In some embodiments, the display is touch-sensitive, and wherein the first circuit board is configured to receive second information from the display. In some embodiments, the second circuit board is configured to communicate with an external device. In an illustrative embodiment, the external device comprises a heater of a building. In an illustrative embodiment, the second circuit board is configured to communicate with the external device via terminals located on the rear surface of the housing. In an illustrative embodiment, the first circuit board and the second circuit board are in communication with one another, and the first circuit board is configured to control the external device via the second circuit board. In an illustrative embodiment, the second circuit board is configured to communicate information received from the external device to the first circuit board.
In some embodiments of the thermostat, the top surface and the rear surface are perpendicular to one another. In some embodiments, the thermostat also includes tangs that secure the battery to the first circuit board. In an illustrative embodiment, the tangs are configured to convey electrical power between the first circuit board and the battery. In an illustrative embodiment, the thermostat includes a removable tab located between the battery and one of the tangs, wherein the tab is non-conductive. In some embodiments, the battery is one of a AA battery or a AAA battery. In an alternative embodiment, the battery is a button cell battery.
In some embodiments of the thermostat, the top surface of the housing comprises a plurality of apertures that are configured to convey heat generated by the first circuit board to an atmosphere. In some embodiments, the top surface of the housing is comprised of a material that is configured to dissipate heat generated by the first circuit board to an atmosphere. In an embodiment, the material is a metal. In some embodiments, the first circuit board is mounted to the top surface of the housing, and the second circuit board is mounted to the rear surface of the housing. In some embodiments, the rear surface of the housing is parallel to a wall. In an embodiment, the rear surface of the housing is mounted to the wall.
One embodiment of the invention relates to a thermostat including a housing with an interior volume, a display attached to the housing, a first circuit board positioned within the interior volume, a second circuit board positioned within the interior volume, wherein the first circuit board is positioned perpendicular to the second circuit board, processing electronics mounted to at least one of the first circuit board and the second circuit board, the processing electronics configured to operate the display, and a battery positioned within the interior volume and configured to provide power to the display and the processing electronics.
Another embodiment of the invention relates to a thermostat including a housing with an interior volume, a display attached to the housing, a first circuit board positioned within the interior volume, a second circuit board positioned within the interior volume, wherein the first circuit board is positioned at an angle to the second circuit board, processing electronics mounted to at least one of the first circuit board and the second circuit board, the processing electronics configured to operate the display, and a battery within the interior volume configured to provide power to the display and the processing electronics.
Another embodiment of the invention relates to a thermostat including a housing with an interior volume, a display attached to the housing, a first circuit board positioned within the interior volume, a second circuit board positioned within the interior volume, wherein the first circuit board is positioned perpendicular to the second circuit board, a temperature sensor mounted on the second circuit board, and processing electronics mounted on a top surface of the first circuit board, the processing electronics configured to operate the display and receive an input from the temperature sensor.
Referring generally to the Figures, a multi-function user control device is shown, according to various exemplary embodiments. The user control device may be implanted as a thermostat to control a HVAC system. The user control device may be implemented as a smart hub and may be connected to any of a variety of controllable systems and devices. For example, the user control device may be connected to a home automation system, a building automation system, an HVAC system, a lighting system, a security system, an electrical system, a sprinkler system, a home entertainment system, and/or any other type of system that can be monitored or controlled via a user control device. The user control device may be implemented in any of a variety of environments (e.g., a home, a building, a classroom, a hotel, a healthcare facility, a vehicle, etc.) and used to monitor, control, and/or facilitate user interaction with controllable systems or devices in such environments. For example, the user control device may be a thermostat installed in a home or building (e.g., mounted on a wall).
The user control device includes a housing that contains electronic components and a touch-sensitive display for displaying visual media (e.g., information, text, graphics, etc.) to a user and receiving user inputs. The housing is selectively attached to a mounting plate to mount the user control device to a mounting surface such as a wall. The housing includes a display mount or support plate that supports the touch-sensitive display. The display mount is cantilevered vertically from the base of the housing such that the entire touch-sensitive display and the display mount are spaced a distance away from the wall when the user control device is attached to a wall. The touch-sensitive display, the display mount, and a protective cover for the display are not opaque (e.g., transparent or translucent), which minimizes the visible footprint of the user control device to a user relative to conventional opaque user control devices. The housing may also include one or more light sources. The light sources may be configured to emit light toward the wall, thereby creating lighting effects on the wall. The light sources may also emit light in alternative or additional directions.
The user control device can be equipped with one or more of a variety of sensors (e.g., temperature, humidity, air quality, proximity, light, vibration, motion, optical, audio, occupancy, power, security, etc.) configured to sense a variable state or condition of the environment in which the user control device is installed. The user control device may include a variety of user interface devices (e.g., a touch-sensitive panel, an electronic display, speakers, haptic feedback, microphone, ambient lighting, etc.) configured to facilitate user interaction with the user control device. The user control device may include a data communications interface configured to facilitate communications between the user control device and remote sensor units, a building automation system, a home automation system, HVAC equipment, mobile devices (e.g., via WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, LTE, LAA LTE, etc.), a communications network (e.g., a LAN, WAN, 802.11, the Internet, a cellular network, etc.), and/or any other systems or devices to which the user control device may be connected.
The user control device may be configured to function as a connected smart hub. For example, the user control device may be configured to receive voice commands from a user and control connected equipment in response to the voice commands. The user control device may be configured to connect to mobile devices (e.g., a user's phone, tablet, laptop, etc.) or other networked devices (e.g., a desktop computer) to allow remote monitoring and control of connected systems. The user control device may be configured to detect the occupancy of a room or space in which the user control device is installed and may perform a variety of occupancy-based control processes. The user control device may monitor the performance of connected equipment (e.g., HVAC equipment) and may perform diagnostics based on data received from the HVAC equipment.
The user control device may function as a wireless communications hub (e.g., a wireless router, an access point, etc.) and may be configured to bridge communications between various systems and devices. For example, the user control device may include a cellular communications transceiver, a modem, an Ethernet transceiver, or other communications hardware configured to communicate with an external communications network (e.g., a cellular network, a WAN, the Internet, etc.). The user control device may include a WiFi transceiver configured to communicate with nearby mobile devices. The user control device may be configured to bridge communications between mobile devices and external communications networks. This functionality allows the user control device to replace networking equipment (e.g., a modem, a wireless router, etc.) in building or vehicle and to provide Internet connectivity. For example, the user control device may function as a WiFi hotspot or a micro cell within a building or vehicle and may communicate with the Internet via an integrated Ethernet transceiver, a cellular transceiver (e.g., for locations not serviced by an Internet service provider), a coaxial cable, or other data communications hardware.
The user control device may receive weather forecasts from a weather service and severe weather alerts. The user control device may have ambient lighting components that emit specific light colors or patterns to indicate sever weather alerts or other alerts. The user control device may also receive utility rate information from a utility provider. The user control device may use the weather forecasts in conjunction with the utility rate information to optimize (e.g., minimize) the energy consumption of the home or building. In some embodiments, the user control device generates a utility bill forecast and recommends set point modifications to reduce energy consumption or energy cost. In some embodiments, the user control device receives energy consumption information for other homes/buildings from a remote system and compares the energy consumption of connected HVAC equipment to the energy consumption of the other homes/buildings.
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As illustrated, the display mount 122 extends upwardly in a cantilevered fashion from the base 120 so that the display mount 122 is located above the base in the normal operating position of the thermostat. In alternative embodiments, the display mount extends downwardly in a cantilevered fashion from the base so that the display mount is located below the base in the normal operating position of the thermostat.
The display mount 122 may be configured as a landscape display with the width 146 greater than the height 144 (as shown in
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The sensors may include a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a motion or occupancy sensor (e.g., a passive infrared sensor), an air quality sensor (e.g., carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, allergens, smoke, etc.), a proximity sensor (e.g., a thermopile to detect the presence of a human and/or NFC, RFID, Bluetooth, sensors to detect the presence of a mobile device, etc.), a camera, a microphone, a light sensor, a vibration sensor, or any other type of sensor configured to measure a variable state or condition of the environment in which the thermostat 100 is installed. In some embodiments, the proximity sensor is used to turn on the display 104 to present visual media when the user is close to the thermostat 100 and turn off the display 104 when the user is not close to the thermostat 100, leading to less power usage and longer display life. Some sensors such as a proximity sensor, a motion sensor, a camera, a light sensor, or an optical sensor may positioned within the housing 102 to monitor the space near the thermostat 100 through the sensor lens 116. The lens 116 is not opaque and allows at least the frequencies of light necessary for the particular sensor to function to pass therethrough, allowing the sensor to “see” or “look” through the lens 116.
In other embodiments, one or more sensors may be located external to the housing 102 and may provide input to the thermostat 100 via a data communications link. For example, one or more sensors may be installed in a gang box behind the thermostat 100, installed in a separate gang box mounted within the same wall to which the thermostat 100 is mounted, or otherwise located throughout the room or space monitored or controlled by the thermostat 100 (e.g., in a wall, in a ceiling panel, in an open volume of the room or space, in a duct providing airflow to the room or space or receiving airflow from the room or space, etc.). This allows the thermostat 100 to monitor the input from a variety of sensors positioned at disparate locations. For example, a humidity sensor may be positioned in a wall and configured to measure the humidity within the wall (e.g., to detect water leakage or burst pipes).
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In an illustrative embodiment, the battery 166 is located within the housing 102. The embodiment shown in
The battery tangs 181 are used to convey electrical power from the battery 166 to the other power-consuming components of the thermostat 100 such as the touch-sensitive screen display 104, the circuit boards 112 and 114, sensors, lights, etc. In an illustrative embodiment, the thermostat 100 includes a connection to an external power source such as from an electrical grid. In such an embodiment, the battery 166 can be used to supply power to the thermostat 100 when the external power source fails or does not provide power to the thermostat 100 (e.g., during installation of the thermostat 100). In an illustrative embodiment, the battery 166 can be recharged using the external power source when the external power source provides power to the thermostat 100.
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In such an example, the circuit board 112 creates a majority or most of the heat within the housing 102. The heat can dissipate upwards through the apertures 174. The top cover 118 can be made of a material that helps to dissipate the heat created by the circuit boards 112 and 114, such as aluminum. In an illustrative embodiment, the heat dissipation through the apertures 174 is passive. In alternative embodiments, the heat dissipation can be active. For example, the thermostat 100 can include one or more fans to circulate air (or any other fluid) across the circuit boards 112 and 114 to more effectively transfer heat from the circuit boards 112 and 114 to the atmosphere.
In an illustrative embodiment, the top cover 118 is made of a thermally conductive material to more effectively dissipate heat from the circuit boards 112 and 114 to the atmosphere. In an illustrative embodiment, the circuit board 112 is thermally connected to the top cover 118. For example, one or more heat sinks can be used to transfer heat from the circuit board 112 (or specific components on the circuit board 112 such as a processing chip) through the top cover 118 and to the atmosphere. In some embodiments, the top cover 118 can be thermally connected to the top cover 118 to dissipate heat through the top cover 118.
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In an embodiment in which the circuit board 114 includes I/O circuitry, the circuit board 114 can be connected to the terminals 168. In such an embodiment, the circuit board 114 can communicate with external devices via the terminals 168. For example, the circuit board 114 can operate relays, detect discrete or digital signals, input or output analog signals, etc. As shown in
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In some embodiments, the circuit board 112 functions at least in part as a sensor board and has one or more sensors, including a proximity sensor 158, a motion or occupancy sensor 160, and a temperature sensor 162. In some embodiments, the circuit board 114 functions at least in part as control board and includes processing electronics 164, a power supply or battery 166, and input terminals 168 for receiving wiring from the HVAC system to be controlled by the thermostat. The processing electronics 164 are coupled (e.g., by a cable or wiring harness) to the touch-sensitive display 104 to receive user inputs from the display 104 and provide outputs to control the display 104 to control operation of the display 104. In some embodiments, the power supply 166 is rechargeable. In some embodiments, the power supply 166 can be replaced by the user. The processing electronics can include a processor and memory device. Processor can be implemented as a general purpose processor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), a group of processing components, or other suitable electronic processing components. Memory device (e.g., memory, memory unit, storage device, etc.) is one or more devices (e.g., RAM, ROM, Flash memory, hard disk storage, etc.) for storing data and/or computer code for completing or facilitating the various processes, layers and modules described in the present application. Memory device may be or include volatile memory or non-volatile memory. Memory device may include database components, object code components, script components, or any other type of information structure for supporting the various activities and information structures described in the present application. According to an exemplary embodiment, memory device is communicably connected to processor via processing circuit and includes computer code for executing (e.g., by processing circuit and/or processor) one or more processes described herein. In some embodiments, the electronic components are found on a single circuit board, are variously distributed among the two circuit boards 112 and 114, or are variously distributed among more than two circuit boards.
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The construction and arrangement of the systems and methods as shown in the various exemplary embodiments are illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.). For example, the position of elements may be reversed or otherwise varied and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions may be altered or varied. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. References herein to the positions of elements (e.g., “top,” “bottom,” “above,” “below,” “upward,” “downward,” etc.) are used to describe the orientation of various elements relative to one another with the user control device in its normal operating position as illustrated in the drawings.
The present disclosure contemplates methods, systems and program products on any machine-readable media for accomplishing various operations. The embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented using existing computer processors, or by a special purpose computer processor for an appropriate system, incorporated for this or another purpose, or by a hardwired system. Embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure include program products comprising machine-readable media for carrying or having machine-executable instructions or data structures stored thereon. Such machine-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor. By way of example, such machine-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of machine-readable media. Machine-executable instructions include, for example, instructions and data which cause a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purpose processing machines to perform a certain function or group of functions.
Although the figures show a specific order of method steps, the order of the steps may differ from what is depicted. Also two or more steps may be performed concurrently or with partial concurrence. Such variation will depend on the software and hardware systems chosen and on designer choice. All such variations are within the scope of the disclosure. Likewise, software implementations could be accomplished with standard programming techniques with rule based logic and other logic to accomplish the various connection steps, processing steps, comparison steps and decision steps.
Claims
1. A thermostat comprising:
- a housing with an interior volume;
- a display attached to the housing;
- a first circuit board positioned within the interior volume;
- a second circuit board positioned within the interior volume, wherein the first circuit board is positioned perpendicular to the second circuit board;
- processing electronics mounted to at least one of the first circuit board and the second circuit board, the processing electronics configured to operate the display; and
- a battery positioned within the interior volume and configured to provide power to the display and the processing electronics.
2. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the processing electronics are mounted on a top surface of the first circuit board.
3. The thermostat of claim 2, further comprising:
- a temperature sensor mounted on a vertical surface of the second circuit board;
- wherein the processing electronics are mounted on a horizontal surface of the first circuit board.
4. The thermostat of claim 1, further comprising a battery receptacle for securing the battery, wherein the battery receptacle is positioned within an angle formed by the first circuit board and the second circuit board.
5. The thermostat of claim 4, wherein the battery receptacle comprises two tangs that secure the battery therebetween.
6. The thermostat of claim 5, wherein the tangs are configured to convey electrical power between the two circuit boards and the battery.
7. The thermostat of claim 1, further comprising a removable tab located between the battery and a portion of the battery receptacle, wherein the tab is non-conductive and prevents the battery from providing power to the display and the processing electronics.
8. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein housing includes a top surface having a plurality of apertures that are configured to convey heat generated by the first circuit board to atmosphere.
9. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the top surface of the housing is comprised of a material that is configured to dissipate heat generated by the first circuit board to an atmosphere.
10. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the first circuit board is mounted to a top surface of the housing, and wherein the second circuit board is mounted to a rear surface of the housing.
11. A thermostat comprising:
- a housing with an interior volume;
- a display attached to the housing;
- a first circuit board positioned within the interior volume;
- a second circuit board positioned within the interior volume, wherein the first circuit board is positioned at an angle to the second circuit board;
- processing electronics mounted to at least one of the first circuit board and the second circuit board, the processing electronics configured to operate the display; and
- a battery within the interior volume configured to provide power to the display and the processing electronics.
12. The thermostat of claim 11, wherein the angle is ninety degrees.
13. The thermostat of claim 11, further comprising a battery receptacle for securing the battery, wherein the battery receptacle is positioned within the angle formed by the first circuit board and the second circuit board.
14. The thermostat of claim 13, wherein the battery receptacle comprises two tangs that secure the battery therebetween.
15. The thermostat of claim 11, further comprising a removable tab located between the battery and a portion of the battery receptacle, wherein the tab is non-conductive and prevents the battery from providing power to the display and the processing electronics.
16. A thermostat comprising:
- a housing with an interior volume;
- a display attached to the housing;
- a first circuit board positioned within the interior volume;
- a second circuit board positioned within the interior volume, wherein the first circuit board is positioned perpendicular to the second circuit board;
- a temperature sensor mounted on the second circuit board; and
- processing electronics mounted on a top surface of the first circuit board, the processing electronics configured to operate the display and receive an input from the temperature sensor.
17. The thermostat of claim 16, wherein the top surface of the first circuit board is arranged horizontally.
18. The thermostat of claim 16, wherein the temperature sensor is mounted on a vertical surface of the second circuit board.
19. The thermostat of claim 16, wherein a bottom surface of the first circuit board is positioned between the processing electronics and the temperature sensor.
20. The thermostat of claim 16, further comprising a battery and a battery receptacle for securing the battery, wherein the battery receptacle is positioned within an angle formed by the first circuit board and the second circuit board.
Type: Application
Filed: May 4, 2016
Publication Date: Nov 10, 2016
Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Plymouth, MI)
Inventors: Joseph R. Ribbich (Waukesha, WI), Michael J. Ajax (Milwaukee, WI), Nicholas S. Van Derven (Wauwatosa, WI)
Application Number: 15/146,749